Wheel flange oiler



Nov. 24, 1936. P. H. HAMILTON WHEEL FLANGE OILER 1 Original Filed March1'7, 1928 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEELFLANGE OILER Original application March 17, 1928, Serial No.

262,452. Divided and this application November 30, 1928, Serial No.322,891

16 Claims.

This invention relates t'o a wheel flange oiler, and moreparticularly toa device for projecting oil from a reservoir mounted adjacent the railonto the ange of a car wheel and the side of the rail head. Thisapplication is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.262,452, led March 17, 1928.

A receptacle or Yreservoir holding a quantity of oil is mounted adjacentthat side of the rail at which the wheel'ange travels. A pair of similarpump mechanisms are mounted in the reservoir at spaced intervalslongitudinally of the rail. Each pump mechanism comprises a plungerpositioned to be depressed by the wheel ange thereby' projecting oilthrough a discharge passage leading to a point adjacent the rail headfrom which the oil is thrown ontoA the wheel flange. The two plungerswill be successively but separately depressed as the wheel travels alongthe rail. An intermediately pivoted lever is connected at its ends withthe respective pump plungers so that as one plunger is depressed theother plunger will be elevated.

Each pump mechanism comprises a cylindrical depression or well extendingvertically downward from the bottom of the reservoir, and open at itsupper end so that oil may flow thereinto from the reservoir. Each pumpplunger is formed at its lower end with a piston adapted to slidably fitwithin the well and expel the oil therefrom through the dischargepassage when the piston is lowered into the well. When the plunger iselevated, the piston will be raised entirely out of the well so that oilmay ow in from the reservoir.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a wheel ange oilersuch as briefly described hereinabove and as disclosed more in detail inthe specications which follow.

Another object is to provide an improved form of pumping mechanism foruse in a wheel llange oiler.

Another object is to provide improved means for connecting a pair ofsimilarly operating oil pump mechanisms so that the depression of onepump plunger will elevate the other pump plunger and vice versa.

Numerous other objects and advantages of this invention will be moreapparent from the following detailed description of one approved form ofthe apparatus. In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the apparatus mounted on the rail, a portion ofthe rail head being cut away to facilitate the disclosure.

. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1. A portion of the reservoir is shown in sideelevation. 5

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the line3-3 of Fig. 2.

I'he main body portion of the receptacle or reservoir I is inthe form ofan integral casting, shaped at its rear bottom and top edges to fit 10between the head 2 and base ange 3 of the rail, and secured to the web 4of the rail by means of bolts 5 passing through the end walls of the receptacle. The xed bottom wall 6 of the reservoir is formed adjacenteither end thereof with a vertically extending cylindrical Well l, theopen upper end of which being in direct communicar tion with thereservoir so that oil may ilow thereinto as indicated at the left ofFig. 2 and in Fig. 3. A discharge passage 8 is formed in the rear wall 9ofthe reservoir, with its lower end I0 communicating with the bottomportion of well 1, and its upper discharge end II extending out througha lip or flange I2 formed on the back wall member 9 of the reservoir Iwhich lip fits against the side of the rail head 2 and serves as alubricant distributing bar or plate.

The cover member I3 which is secured to the main casting Iby bolts orequivalent connections I4 is formed` with Vertical guide passages I5which are coaxial with the respective wells or cylinders 'I. A plunger I6 is guided for vertical movement in each of these guide passages I5.Each plunger I6 terminates at its lower end in an enlarged piston I Iadapted to fit slidably within the well or cylinder 'I when the plungeris lowered (as'shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 2) and adapted to beraised into the main chamber of the reservoir when the plunger iselevated (as shown at the left of Fig. 2 and in 40 Fig. 3).

A lever or rocker member I8 has a downwardly extending central portionI9 adapted to be fulcrumed within a depression 20 formed centrally ofthe bottom wall 6 of the reservoir. Each end 2I of the rocker memberengages within a recess 22 formed in one of the plungers I 6. It will beapparent from Fig. 2 that when one of the plungers I6 is depressed, themovement thus imparted to the rocker I8 will elevate the other plungerI6, and vice versa.

An adjustable head, here shown in the form oi a screw plug 23, ismounted in the upper end of each plunger IB to be engaged by the wheelflange indicated at 24. If necessary, the rocker I8 may be adjustedvertically by placing shims beneath its fulcrum I9 in the depression 20.

When one of the plungers is elevated, as shown at the left of Fig. 2 andin Fig. 3, practically the entire upper end of the well 1 is open sothat oil from the receptacle or reservoir may flow directly in and fillthe cylindrical well. When the plunger is depressed by the passing wheelflange 24 engaging the head 23 of plunger I6, the piston I 'I will passdown into the well I and expel the oil from the well to the dischargepassage 8 and outlet spout II. At the same time the plunger at the otherend of the receptacle will be elevated so that its well will receive anew supply of oil from the reservoir. It will now be apparent that asthe wheel passes along the rail the pump mechanisms will be successivelyoperated to discharge their oil against the wheel flange, and each isagain recharged as the next pump mechanism is operated.

The upper flange extension I2 of the reservoir, in which the outletspouts I I are positioned, serves not only to house and protect thechannels I I and deflect the wheel flange inwardly away from the rail sothat the oil may be projected upwardly into contact with the throat ofthe car-wheel flange, but also serves as a wiper' engaging the beveledface of the wheel flange 24 to spread the oil that has been dischargedthereon.

It will be apparent that the improved pump mechanisms here shown asoperating in tandem, could be used separately, each plunger beingprovided with a spring or similar means for returning the plunger to itselevated position after the car wheel has passed (as disclosed in theparent application Serial No. 262,452, hereinabove referred to) I claim:

1. A wheel flange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adaptedto be mounted adjacent the rail, a pair of oil wells formed in thereservoir, a discharge passage leading from each well to a pointadjacent the rail-head, a plunger operating in each well, and a rockermember having its intermediate portion fulcrumed on the bottom of thereservoir and its ends connected with the respective plungers.

2. A wheel flange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adaptedto be mounted adjacent the rail, there being a pair of verticallyextending cylindrical oil wells formed in the bottom of the reservoir, adischarge passage leading from the lower portion of each wellto a pointadjacent the railhead, a plunger above each well guided for verticalmovement in the top wall of the reservoir, the lower end of the plungerentering the well when the upper end thereof is depressed by a passingwheel, and a rocker member having its intermediate 4portion fulcrumed onthe bottom of the reservoir intermediate the wells and its endsconnected with the respective plungers.

3. A wheel flange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adaptedto be mounted adjacent the rail, there being a pair of verticallyextending cylindrical oil wells formed in the bottom of the reservoir, adischarge passage leading from the lower portion of each well to a pointadjacent the railhead, a plunger above each well guided for verticalmovement in the top wall of the reservoir, there being a head on theupper end of each plunger positioned to be depressed by a passing carwheel, and a piston on the lower end of each plunger adapted tosubstantially flt slidably Within the well,land arocker member havingits intermediate 4portion fulcrumed on the bottom of the reservoirintermediate the Wells, and its ends pivotally connected with therespective plungers whereby as one piston is depressed'into its well toexpel the oil through the discharge passage, the other piston will beelevated out of the well to permit oil to flow into the well from thereservoir.

4. A wheel flange lubricator comprising a reservoir, means actuated by acar wheel for forcing lubricant from the reservoir, a wiper flangepositioned adjacent the side of the rail head extending longitudinallythereof and adapted to engage the inner surface of a wheel flange, therebeing an outlet formed in the flange through which the lubricant isdischarged.

5. A wheel flange lubricator comprising a reservoir, means actuated by acar wheel for forcing lubricant from the reservoir, a wiper flangepositioned adjacent the .side of the rail head extending longitudinallythereof and adapted to engage the inner surface of a wheel flange, therebeing a plurality of outlets in the flange spaced longitudinally thereofthrough which the lubricant is discharged.

6. A wheel flange lubricator comprising a reservoir, a plurality ofmechanisms spaced longitudinally of a rail for separately forcinglubricant from the reservoir, a wiper flange positioned adjacent theside of the rail head and extending longitudinally of the rail past themechanisms and adapted to engage the inner surface of a wheel flange,there being separate lubricant discharge outlets in the flange, one foreach of the mechanisms.

7. In combination with a lubricant pumping mechanism for forcinglubricant to the rail head and car Wheel flange, a wiper platepositioned at the side f the rail head and extending longitudinallythereof and adapted to engage the inner surface of the car wheel flange.

8. In combination with a lubricant pumping mechanism for forcinglubricant to the rail head and car Wheel ange, a Wiper plate positionedat the side of the rail head and extending longitudinally thereof andadapted to engage the inner surface of the car wheel flange, there beingconduits in the plate having outlets through which the lubricant isdischarged.

9. Track lubricating apparatus comprising in combination with the railsof a track and means to intermittently supply lubricant for lubricatingone of the rails, a member rigidly attached to the inner edge of one ofthe track rails and projecting inwardly therefrom in position to beengaged by the flanges of passing car wheels and to deflect theminwardly, said projecting member being provided with a channel protectedfrom the action of the car wheel flanges and through which lubricant isadapted to be fed upwardly into position to Contact with the throat ofthe car wheel flanges as they pass over said projecting member.

10. Track lubricating apparatus comprising in combination with the railsof a track and means to supply lubricant for lubricating one of therails, a member rigidly attached to the inner edge of one of the trackrails and projecting inwardly therefrom in position to engage theflanges of passing car wheels and space the car Wheel flanges so engagedaway from the edge of the rail, and a lubricant discharge conduitpassing upwardly through said projecting member and adapted to feedlubricant into position to contact with the throat of the car wheelflanges as they pass said projecting member.

1l. Track lubricating apparatus comprising in combination with the railsof a track and means to supply lubricant for lubricating one of therails, a member rigidly attached to the rail and projecting inwardlyfrom the inner edge of one of said rails in position to engage theilanges of passing car wheels and space the car Wheel anges so engagedaway from the edge of the rail, and a lubricant discharge port in theupper face of said projecting member adapted to discharge lubricant inposition to contact with the throat of the car wheel anges as they passsaid projecting member.

12. In a track oiling device, a plate having upwardly extending openingsfor the passage of oil to the head of the rail, means for securing saidplate to said rail whereby to position the upper edge portion of saidplate against the ball portion of the rail and to oiset the rail fromthe wheel iiange, and means operated by passage of a car over the railfor forcibly delivering oil to said openings.

13. In a track oiling device, a plate having upwardly extending openingsfor the passage of oil to the head of the rail, means for securing saidplate to said rail whereby to position the upper edge portion of saidplate against the ball portion of the rail and to offset the rail fromthe Wheel flange, a supply tank, a pump for delivering oil from thesupply tank to said openings,

and means operated by the passage of a car over the rail for operatingsaid pump.

14. In a rail lubricating device of the class described, a lubricantdistributor positioned at one side of the rail and comprising alubricant distributing bar secured in position against a side face ofthe rail head and having a plurality of lubricant ducts extending to theupper edge of the bar, and means for supplying lubricant to saidlubricant ducts.

15. In a rail lubricating device of the character described, a lubricantdistributor including a lubricant distributing bar positioned along theSide face of the rail head so that a portion of the inner face of saidbar extends in substantially the same plane as the said side face of therail head, there being a plurality of lubricant ducts spaced from eachother longitudinally of said bar and having outlet openings at the sideof the rail head, and means for supplying lubricant to said ducts.

16. In a rail lubricating device of the class described, a lubricantdistributor positioned along a rail at the inner side face of the railhead, said member including a lubricant distributing bar provided with apluralityof lubricant ducts for discharging lubricant at the side of therail head and means for supporting said bar so that a portion of itsinner face extends substantially in the plane of the side face of therail head.

PERRY H. HAMJLTON.

